A reading of the agrarian question in Mato Grosso

This article is the first part of a study that examines the agrarian question in the state of Mato Grosso, which will be published in two parts. Our goal in this article is to perform a recovery of agrarian formation of the state of Mato Grosso (Brazil) and the processes that led to the establishment of the current agrarian structure. The first section of this article deals with the definition of the current agrarian question and the general framework of the Brazilian agrarian question, and is the basis for the two subsequent topics, that deal with the history of agrarian formation in the state of Mato Grosso and the process of establishment of agribusiness as predominant agricultural model in the state today. The second part of the study will be published as an article in an upcoming issue and focuses on the current configuration of the agrarian question in the state of Mato Grosso in order to present a more detailed analysis of various issues such as land tenure, land use, agricultural production, conflicts in the countryside and rural settlements. To prepare the study, in addition to literature, we used data and experience in various field work focused on agrarian we did in Mato Grosso in 2009, 2010 and 2011, which enabled the contact with different social actors and the knowledge of various regions of the state.